A D-DAY veteran from Trowbridge said he was treated like a Hollywood film star during an emotion-filled six-day trip to Normandy.

With autograph hunters clamouring for his signature and French residents continually expressing their eternal thanks, Bob Conway said the memories of the trip would live with him forever.

Returning to his home in Boundary Walk, Trowbridge, 79-year-old Mr Conway and his wife, Gwen, said the French people could not have treated them better.

One of only 30 Britons to take part in a clifftop ceremonial march on the 60th anniversary of D-Day, Mr Conway said the security had to be tight to stem the risk of terrorism.

The veteran was only 18 when he played his part in Operation Overlord, serving with the Royal Army Service Corp when the Allied invasion of beaches at Arromanches began.

As well as the lingering images of death and row upon row of coffins, he vividly recalls the feeling of camaraderie and the individual acts of heroism performed throughout the Second World War operation.

All this came flooding back during his week-long trip to France.

Speaking about his experiences, Mr Conway said: "I don't know how many books I signed.

"The people couldn't have been nicer.

"You could not walk down the street without residents saying it was an honour to meet me.

"Someone came up to me and said 'thanks for my freedom'.

"It was wet eyes throughout the whole trip.

"All I know is when I was 13, war broke out, and all I wanted to do was join the service.

"I am not a hero, I am just an ordinary squaddie."

One of the weekend's marches involved retracing the steps of thousands of soldiers along Sword Beach, one of the focal points of the D-Day invasion.

Mr Conway said each march rolled back the years to 1944: "It was the most wonderful weekend. My wife is going in for a hip operation soon and I wasn't sure we were going to make it, but she wouldn't let me miss it.

"I was one of the millions of people out there and I think everyone would say the same."

Despite taking part in marches throughout the 60th anniversary weekend, Mr Conway, a member of the Normandy Veterans Association, was marching in London just three days later.